An American Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dallas experienced an emergency as a passenger’s laptop caught on fire last Friday, Aug. 21. Four to five passengers suffered burn injuries and one received medical treatment, showing that lithium-ion battery incidents have been rising sharply in recent years.
Laptop Fire Forces In-Flight Emergency
The American Airlines Flight 2398, operated by an Airbus A321 experienced an emergency when a passenger’s laptop caught fire at the back of the aircraft. Smoke was reported in the cabin as crew worked to extinguish and contain the fire. The laptop was placed in a thermal bag within five minutes. Cabin crew also moved the laptop from the back to the middle of the aircraft to place it in an open, centralized area. This also made it easier for crew members to monitor the laptop.
CBS News reported that the plane made a safe landing at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The aircraft was taxied to the gate with emergency personnel waiting. This included medical teams and airport emergency responders. The medical teams evaluated the injured passengers, and one person received treatment before being released.
Dangers of Thermal Runaway
Most mobile phones, tablets, and laptops are powered by lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. However, these batteries pose a threat, also known as thermal runaway. They can overheat, emit smoke and in rare cases catch fire and burn. Therefore, passengers are encouraged to keep power banks and lithium devices in the cabin rather than checked baggage.
Thermal runaway can be caused by previous damage that creates a short circuit, which subsequently causes the battery to melt or catch fire. When it occurs, it is important to know how to manage the situation. Flight attendants are usually the first line of defense during a cabin fire. According to Skybrary, some basic fire fighting principles include identifying the fire, extinguishing it immediately and aggressively, watching out for re-ignition and communicating with cabin crew. Moreover, it is also important to follow safety precautions and protocols, including using the appropriate firefighting equipment as thermal runaways can reach 700 degrees Celsius which can cause serious burns.
What precautions do you take when travelling with electronic devices? Let us know in the comments.
